Chemicals such as those used in cleaning have typically been provided in several fashions. First, such chemicals can be provided in concentrations and combinations of ingredients appropriate to end use. The problem with this method of distribution is the large numbers of separate mixtures which are appropriate for various uses as well as the large amount of volume and weight required for storing and shipping of these chemicals due to the substantial amount of water which is present in any end use chemical.
One method of solving the volume and weight problem is to provide the chemical in concentrated form thereby allowing the end user to appropriately dilute the solution as desired. While this approach may seem attractive, such dilution can cause problems in that it is hard to get the appropriate exact dilutions required for various applications, such as cleaning. Solutions which are too concentrated or too dilute may be equally unsuitable.
Various mixing devices have been known in the art, and such devices are shown in general in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,955,726, 3,977,682, 3,251,508, 3,951,311, 3,960,295 and 3,268,119. While the devices disclosed in these patents may be somewhat effective in accomplishing their intended purposes, none is suited to end use mixing of multiple ingredient products at a cost which is feasible for end users. In particular, none of these shows the draw-through manifold and single pump arrangement of the instant invention nor shows the other inventive features as described and claimed hereinafter.
Obviously the same sort of desired result is accomplished on a large scale in chemical processing plants on an every day basis. However, such machinery is quite expensive and substantially more complicated than is required for the intended use set forth hereinafter.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a dispensing device which is capable of mixing chemical bases in an exact fashion which provides exact amounts of each ingredient desired in combination with the appropriate dilution of water or other solvent which is basic to all of the chemical components.
It is further an object of this invention to provide a chemical mixing system which is reasonably compact and inexpensive to manufacture so as to be suited for an end use situation.